title: Effects of focus and definiteness on children's word order: evidence from German five-year-olds' reproductions of double object constructions.
abstract: Two experiments tested how faithfully German children aged 4 ;5 to 5 ;6 reproduce ditransitive sentences that are unmarked or marked with respect to word order and focus (Exp1) or definiteness (Exp2). Adopting an optimality theory (OT) approach, it is assumed that in the German adult grammar word order is ranked lower than focus and definiteness. Faithfulness of children's reproductions decreased as markedness of inputs increased; unmarked structures were reproduced most faithfully and unfaithful outputs had most often an unmarked form. Consistent with the OT proposal, children were more tolerant against inputs marked for word order than for focus; in conflict with the proposal, children were less tolerant against inputs marked for word order than for definiteness. Our results suggest that the linearization of objects in German double object constructions is affected by focus and definiteness, but that prosodic principles may have an impact on the position of a focused constituent.
authors.affiliation: University of Potsdam.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Höhle
authors.affiliation: University of Potsdam.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hörnig
authors.affiliation: University of Potsdam.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weskott
authors.affiliation: University of Potsdam.
authors.forename: Selene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knauf
authors.affiliation: University of Potsdam.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krüger
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D032882:Comprehension; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D008037:Linguistics; D008297:Male; D012660:Semantics; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement